Many automotive and other vehicles are equipped with electronic control systems that regulate various components of the vehicle, such as speed and temperature. These electronic control systems are utilized to control the components based on information represented by output signals from various sensors for detecting operating conditions. A vehicle speed sensor, for example, is a device, which is generally utilized in an automobile to sense vehicle speed and send this information to the vehicle's onboard computer. In order to control engine performance electronically, it is often necessary to provide a variety of signals to the engine control module. These signals indicate the status of the parameter being detected and to which the control must respond. Among status signals necessary is a signal that is indicative of the vehicle speed.
Temperatures sensors are also important in a number of applications, not merely automotive or vehicle applications. Temperature sensors that are used in conjunction with high-temperature applications, for example, typically comprise a metallic tube in which a temperature sensitive element is disposed inside one end with conductive wires extending within the tube from the temperature sensitive element to an opening at the other end of the tube. The metallic tube is inserted through a wall of the high-temperature application or environment to permit the temperature sensitive element to be placed in thermal communication with an internal cavity of the high-temperature application. Temperature sensors are utilized for a variety of applications, including low-temperature applications and applications that require ambient air temperature information, such as that required in modern aircraft.
A continuing need exists for sensor devices that can detect both temperature and speed. One of the problems with conventional methodologies and systems for combining speed and temperature sensor devices into a single package is that they are inflexible and subject to environmental conditions. Additionally, it is difficult to package such sensor devices into small compact packages without suffering a loss in the quality of the resulting detection data.